Report on the participation as observer in the UNESCO-ICH-NGO FORUM

Prof. Mag. Hans J. Holz
Vice-President of IOV
Andorf, Austria

Report

on the participation as observer in the UNESCO-ICH-NGO FORUM from Nov. 25th to Nov. 30,th, 2018 in Port Louis, Mauritius

In the evening of Nov. 25th this event was opened with a reception of the Ministry of Arts and Culture including music and dance performances of Mauritian groups by the Prime Minister of Mauritius in a historical open air-venue.

Next day the ICH-NGO-Forum started its work at the Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre (SVICC) near Port Louis. After a few opening speeches the plenary sessions with about 250 participants from all the world, mainly UNESCO representatives and delegates from many NGOs around the world, were held each morning and afternoon. In between there were meetings and discussions of smaller groups and Information Sessions about the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The agenda included reports of the State Parties as well as of the Evaluation Body on its work in 2018.

The Evaluation Body recommended that the Committee inscribes 29 new elements on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. They all were adopted.

Further nine nominations were recommended to be referred to the submitting states and two nominations were recommended not to be inscribed this time.

In the noon - breaks between the sessions different folk art groups from Mauritius daily presented folk art and culture from their island for the delegates.

The organisers in Mauritius did their best for transports and accommodation of the many delegates on the whole island. So this UNESCO-NGO FORUM became a successful and impressive event for UNESCO and for all delegates.